CAN S.S. HAWERA BE SAVED?

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1588, 4 November 1912, Page 4

CAN S.S. HAWERA BE SAVED?

OPTIMISTIC VIEW.

' Mr. Bennett, managing director of tha Patea Shipping Company, has. retUrned .to-. Wellington from . Patea, after having visited the wrecked steamer., Hnwera. ■ While at Patea Mr.: Bennett' thoroughly mspected the -vessol./andJip hoVds, aiuoptw mistic view of l saving 1 the. little craft.... All account' of the damage sustainedon October 2G and succeeding .days,., has already appeared, but fuller particulara ate now available. .On clospr . inspection; of the Hawerii, it, was found, that-.there Was'a large hole in. the starboard.: side, of the vessel's bilge extending for 10 feet alongside tho main hold;. About i feetof the stem on the forefront, -was- knocked, off, and the stwboard sister kelson was broken. The vessel, had sunk G. feet info thfe sand, and was high' and' dfy .at low water. • At high tide, however, "tile seaa were washing round her. ' The work of endeavouring to save the, Hiiwera lias' commenced. Ropes were placed underneath her. and her bow; shifted round in order to <illow lier to .be lifted up on to tho crown of the beach for repairs at next spring ."tides,. The ...lift-, lug, it is expected, will take place/next Friday or Saturday.. At present .the. eeha ; are causing no damage. It was ascertained that, tho vessel's back was not broken, and also .that she had suffered no serious, structural damage, as was at first reported. All the vessel's cargo had been removed, and some of this was found to be buried; to n depth of 4ft. Gin. in tho sand. When permanent repairs are effected,- it is proposed to launch the Hawera over the breakwater into tho river. _If the operation is successful, it .is' anticipated', that tho .little steamoi - will be ready: to take up hs'r. running lietWcen Pateaand Wellington during; tho month cf January. Meantime, the company's steamer- Kiripaka, which .has beeai laid up at Patea. for somn months past, is being made ready, and sho is expected to take up her.run. ning within the next three or four days. Mr, Bennett trill leavo for Patea again on Wednesday of this week.